Contour-cap for projectiles.



o. DAVIS; GONTOUR GAP FOR PROJEGTILES. APPLICATION FILED APB. 21, 1908.

' Patented @11.4, 1910.

3 SHEBTSTSHEET 1.

listin Witwe/aoco Stimmung f G. DAVIS. CONTOUR GAP FOR PROJECTILES. v A'PPLIUATLON FILED Auml, 190s.

PatentdJan.4,19l0.

SSHEETS-SHEET 2.

Snom/Lto@ -G. DAVIS. A GONTOUR CAP FOR PROJECTILES.

APPLIUATIDN FILED unal, 190s.

Pmnd Jam 4, 1910. v

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

"onrinn enligne iiirnnfr onirica,

CLELAND DAVIS, 0F THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

CONTOUR--CAP FOR PROJECTILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

raient-@dame 4. 191e.

Application ilei April 21, 1908. Serial No. 428,403.

''o oil tti/tom it muy concern;

lle it ki'iown that; I, CLnLxxn Davis, lientenant-cominander U. Navy, a citizen ot' the 'lnited States, residing at lYaehington, in the District ot (oluinbia, have invented certain new and useful lniproveunamv in (Rudow-Caps for Projectilee; and l do hereby declare the ,following to be a il'ull, clear, and exact. description oi'f the inrention. leuch as will enable other l skilled in the art to which it appert'ains` to inakt` and nec-the saine` My invention relates to contour caps t'or projectiles, and has for its object the provision ot' such a cap as will decrease the air.

six diameters ot the projectile. The 'apex -lresistance `.of modern standard projeetileg' v and therefore increasing their velocity and accuracy during flight.

It is now Well known that there ie a eerof Suc-h a curved colloidal cap will extend about :tour inches in *liront oi the soft metal *cap 2, and will give the contour, shown in 141g. l, to the entire projectile.

tain contour, or taper, which when given I to the exterior of projectiles, causes them to ineet- Wit-h a minimum resistance from the air; and it 'is equally well known that this' particular contour, or taper is not the beet adapted for armor piercing` qualities. ln

In order to secure accuracy in iight, it is essential that the cap 3, be securely centered on the projectile, and with its apex l in prolongation ot' the axis of said projectile. To accomplish these. ends, I seein-ein any Snitable manner. as by screws or by a'utogenous other words, il a projectile is given the best-shape for piercing armor, it will not meety with ainininnnn air yresistance during flight, and if it is given the best shape for cleaving the air, it will notarmor piercing qualities.

possess its best` v enter the slots (5, and to be forced past the My invention accordingly consists in `providing a standard armor piercing or other projectile with a contour cap, which will during t'light give the projectile as a whole that contour best `adapted for penetrating the air, and which upon impact is destroyed. thereby leaving the projectile with its bestV armor piercing contour nniinpaired.

Referring to the accon'ipanying dra\\'in l forming a part ot this specification in which like numerals reter to like parte4 in all the viewsfmligurc l, is an elevational view ot' a standard capped armor piercing projei'tile with my contour cap applied thereto,

Fig, 2, is a like view ot the forward .end ot the 'projectile showing the eap'in section. Fig. 3, 1S a section on the line S-E` ot Fig. c)

for securing the. cap to lthe j'nfojeetilef Fig.

. the, projectile.

welding, the band 5 on the interior of the cap 3, and provide the saine with the bayolnei slots 6, having the shoulders 7, formed b v slightly turning up the extreme end sS of the slots, as shown. '.lhe soft metal cap Q is provided with the pins 9, adapted to shoulder# T when the contour cap is hard over, and thereby lock the latter i'irinly to Since the rotarjmotion of the projectile iS right handed, when `viewed from the rear. the slots t'i are turned in the lsaine direction so the pins Si will tend to tighten the joint between the cap 3 and projectile after tiring.

.Figi Ll, is a. detail ot' -tlie bayonet #lotl` 5, shows a lnoditied means for Aeenringthe i contour cap to the. projectile. Fig. (t. a

"further modified forni of in v invention.

Fig. 7, a section along the line Tv YT ot Fig?. G.

Fig. 8, a still further modified torni,

'lhe band is So placed longitudinally in the cap El. that when the extreme rear edge of the cap contacts, with the eiirved, or bourreletportion of'the projectile, as shown, the slots 6 will 'register with the pins 9 on the soft cap 2.

ln the modification Shown in Fig. 5, instead of using a bayonet. joint to secure the contour cap to'the projectile l, I-einploy a pin or rod `l0, which enters the forward end oit the Soft nose, and preferably screw threaded into the solid portion 11, secured into the apex portion of the cap 3.

In the form Shown in Fig. 6 the projectile capregarded as a whole is composed of the 'sheet metal contour cap 3, having secured therein the soft nietal cap 12 recessed at itsv rear end :und adapted to fit around and to l the piercing point of the ordinary j nojectile, laterally support the noso or point proper tent the distribution oilweights already ex ol the projectile. tiaid cap is also jnoridcd with the chambered portion between the lorward end oi' the soit metal cap and the ex treme point o'll the contour cap 2l. in order to gire the rap a tirin seat on the nose ol' the projectile, the latter is provided with grooves lll, and the sol't cap l2 is provided o with cori-espending` projections it, which may be wedges in said grooves, when the cap l2 is applf fd thereto.

l'n the torni shown in lfigs. tl and l), l attach to the base otl the projetailt.- a suitable 5 removable cap which will be in a collapsed condition when under pressure and will he in an citendcd condition,when in llight. ln this torni ot projectile the forward con tour cap 3 acts in the inanner above dean scribed and the rear cap 2O acts to fill the which are provided with the lugs 24; and 25,

titting Correspending,r grooves, and screw or other fastemngsA QG are provided for securing; the cap to the base Q7 of the projectile i as illustrated. lllhen in their collapsed con- 0 dition these sections occupy the positions indicated in dotted lines, hie'. t), 'and when in llight the inertia of the parts will cause them to occupy the position shown in full lines, or a small fuse may be relied upon to 5 generate gas to force said parts to the rear, as illustrated and described in my former application #400,595, tiled November 4th, 1907, and particularly as disclosed in connection with Fig. l, ot' said application. In o .fact the base cap, 2U, of this application may be made of the forni and construction disclosed in said Fig'. 1, of' said earlier application. i

lt 'will be observed that in all the forms 5 shown, the contour cap may he readily and quickly attached to or detached from the projectile, thereby coliverting the forward contour of a standard armor piercing projectile, into that of a projectile especially de- 0 signed for ilight; and after the forward contour has been thus changed it may be changed back to that of the standard 3rojectile afrain. The saine is true of the ase cap disclosed in Figs. 8 and 9. These caps 5 may be put on at the factory and shipped with the projectiles, or they may loe carried scjnirately and applied on board ship, or at any other place of iii-ing. 'lhe pins t) may be readily unscrewed, and their holes" lilled 0 if it is desired to do away with the Lontour cap altogether in the case ot soft nose projectiles. lt should also be observed that since my contour cap il is hollow, it is made of relatively thin metal, and involves the t5, adding' ot practically no weight :forward ot that l do not disturb to any apjjn'cciable cxistintil in standard projectiles. when it is used alone, and as l very slightly weight it to balance the rear cap il' desired, l. do not interfere with ballistics ot the projectile at, all.

l am aware that hollow caps have been heretofore proposed for projectiles having abrupt', highly air resisting forward ends, in order to lessen thc res' tance ot the air during flight( but snch'caps are in no .sense the efpiivalent ot mine, lor that the shape necessary to obtain a minimum resistance during' llight, not lning then unknown, the contour essential for the accomplishment o'lE my results was neither shown nor otherwise disclosed, and therelore such caps were incapable ol givingl the correct contour to the projectile as a whole.

(llI course lI do not wish tothe limited to thc exact d etails ot construction above dis'- closed, since it is evident that the, same may be varied without departing from the spirit ol" my invention.

l. l`he combinrnion ol a pointed armor piercilral jn'ojertile; a so'i't metal cap surrounding and .supporting the point ol said projectile; and a contour cap secured to said projectile having a. shape adapted to give'to the projectile as a whole that contour best adapted for jiicrcinpr the air with the minimum resistance and said contour cap when in position on the j a'ojectile leavin;T a hol,- low space between its extreme forward point and the forward point ol said soft metal cap. substantially as described. j

Q. '.lho colnbinatimi ol a pointed armor piercing projectile; a` soft metal eap surrounding' and snpj'iorting the, point ol'said projectile: a` conoidal contour cap struck with a radius ot suljistanlially six diana-ters ot the projectile; and means for so securing said contour cap to said projetdilc as to leave a chamber lleluu-en the l'ront oi said sol't; metal cap and lhe ext renie point oi' said contour cap, .substantially as described.

2l. The mmibination ol a standard projef-tile providml with pins; a sott metal cap covering' and laterally supportingl the point ol said projectile; and a contour cap so shaped as to canso a minimum resistance through tl 1, air and provided with bayonet slots in which said pins take, said cap leaving' a chamber between itsl extreme forward point and the 'forward pointy of the soft metal cap'when in place upon the projectile substantially as described.

A1l. 'lhc combination ol' a standard projet-tile prmfided with pins, and a contour cap adaptedto cause a minimum rcs tare-2" v the air with a minimum resistance; and a tapered cap attached to the base of said prof 'having locking shoulders past' which said be forced, substantially as de shape adapted to give 'to' the projectile as a Whole that contour best adapted for piercing jectile adapted to partially lill the vacuum caused during flight, substantially as described.

l7. An armorpiercing capped projectile having a sharp nose and a cap surrounding and supporting the nose of the projectile and provided With a chambered fore portion, the lateral faces of said chambercd portion being gently convergent forward to approximately a point.4

,'8. A' cap for sharp pointed armor piercing projectiles having a base portio'nrecessed to receive the tip of a projectile and to support 1t laterally and adapted to be secured on the tip of the projectile and a chambered front portion extending approximately to a sharp point.

` 9. A capped armor piercing projectile the cap of which has a chamber 1n front of the projectile point, the solid portion ofthe cap being'distributed mainly around but not in front of the nose of the projectile.

y10. A. cap for a pointed armor piercing 40 shell having a chambe'red front portion adapted to lie in front of the projectile point l and recessed at the rear so as to fit around and laterally support the nose-of the `projectile, said lrecess extending nearly through '45 the unchambered portion of the cap.

11. A cap for pointed armor piercing projectiles having a radius of curvature' of substantially siX times',I the diameter of the projectile, and comprising a vhollow pointed contour portion'nd a portion adapted to point. v

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature,

in `presence of tWoWit-nesses. j

` I CLELAND DAVIS. Witnesses:

F. E. CHAPIN, t JonN F. WILKINS.

laterally surround and 'inc lose the projectile 

